Evaluation of the size and shape of powder components for air polishing of the surface of hard tooth tissue; [Оценка размера и формы компонентов порошков для водно-воздушной полировки поверхности твердых тканей зуба]

Water-air polishing is an effective method for removing biofilm from all tooth surfaces in professional oral hygiene. A variety of abrasive powders have been developed for this purpose. These powders are based on sodium bicarbonate, calcium carbonate, glycine or erythritol. Depending on the granule size and shape, these powders can increase or decrease dental hard tissue surface roughness. Objective — profilometric study of the size and shape of granules of professional oral hygiene abrasives. Materials and methods. For the study, five samples of abrasive powders were selected: 1) Air Profi Comfort (Omega-Dent, Russia) made of sodium bicarbonate (40 μm); 2) Flow-Cleans Pro (TechnoDent, Russia) made of sodium bicarbonate (50—60 μm) and calcium carbonate (50—70 μm); 3) Air-Cleans Perio (VladMiVa, Russia) made of glycine (25 microns); 4) Airflow Plus (EMS, Switzerland) made of erythritol (14 μm); 5) Rhapsody Flow (Queen Dental, Germany) made of sodium bicarbonate (40 μm). Scanning and determination of the average particle size as well as the shape of individual granules on an optical 3D profilometer were performed. Results. In samples 1—4 the shape of particles corresponds to the manufacturer’s statement. The average size of abrasive granules in several samples exceeded the values specified in the instructions: sample 1 — 71.4 μm, sample 4 — 41.7 μm, sample 5 — 79.4 μm. Conclusion. Based on profilometry data, it appears that manufacturers’ specified average particle sizes of abrasive powders are not always accurate. © The Author(s) 2023.